Page 7 of Mortal Desires

“Put it on,” Penny practically whispered, not interested in the TV for the first time in her non-life.

There was no tremor. No flashing of lights or whispers from the beyond. Abuela didn’t come back, summoned by her jewelry. Still, I held my breath and Penny widened her eyes.

“Looks good.” She nodded.

With the ring on my finger and properly dressed, I left my room, gathered with my sisters in the main hall, and waited for Elisa to come down for her first speech.

We all looked great, all of us in long gowns except Elena, who told anyone who liked to hear that her legs were her best asset and she was born to show them off.

All Hallows’ Eve was always the same. We first gathered and waited for Elisa’s words. Then we moved to the rituals and spells, asking for a blessed new year. Finally, when we finished all that, we relaxed and enjoyed the night together.

Elisa would smile at our happiness but never partake. She’d end up going up to her bedroom early. That left Lucia in charge, watching over us so Elena didn’t drink too much. Emilia and Florencia would put on music. Marnie was always the first out of the chair, dancing around the room and making me take a step or two with her.

I’d want to go upstairs and sleep, but Penny always liked to stay. She didn’t go to many parties, so I stayed when I wanted to go. Listened when I wanted to sleep.

It was always the same, but it was our life. Our family. And I loved us.

All eyes were on Elisa as she came down the stairs dressed in a beautiful gown—almost completely see-through if not for the strategic placement of black lace. She wore a small pointy hat like the rest of us and started with her usual speech about the importance of celebrating another year of All Hallows’ Eve together in the Morales manor.

Marnie gasped somewhere in front. My ears perked up trying to figure out what happened. The twins were quick, flanking Marnie, trying to make her talk. I was only half-listening, my eyes scanning the room for Penny. She never missed Elisa’s speeches.

I barely finished that thought when she appeared by my side.

“Finally,” I whispered.

“What are you guys doing?” she asked quickly, a crease between her brows.

I made a face and nodded to Elisa still talking, now blatantly ignoring Marnie, Emilia, and Elena, who were whispering over her speech.

“Nothing different?” she pushed.

I shook my head, but kept looking at Elisa, knowing she was already annoyed at the side talk.

“Pilar, look at me.”

Reluctantly, I did.

I let out a gasp of my own.

Penny looked… solid. She always looked brighter on the thirty-first of October. It was when the veil between the mortal and supernatural plane became thinner, but never was she so… solid.

“I just saw you,” I wondered out loud.

She nodded. “I was laughing at the bend and snap when I looked at my hands…”

I quickly looked down. She looked like… the living. My fingers twitched to touch her. For the first time, it felt like she was within reach, no longer an imprint of a time gone by.

But before my fingers grazed her skin, Elisa sighed from the front. “What’s happening?”

My eyes flew to my sisters, and when they came back to Penny, she was gone again.

What was so different about today? Why was Penny so solid? Why—

I missed something really important because suddenly the energy of the room changed, all my sisters held their breath collectively when Elisa told us with a crack in her authoritative voice, “Dining room. Everyone!”

Shit.

We filed into the dining room, apprehension showing on each one of our faces. We stood around the table, my hands clutching the wooden chair in front of me, while Elisa turned her eyes to Marnie. “What’s going on?”

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